​Why Belize?

One night, I was checking my emails when I came across a deal that was too hard to pass up. $279 round trip tickets to Belize 😱. Lucky enough, my sister, Tran, and friend, Carolyn also had the #yolo mindset. We ended up getting 3 tickets for the price of the average 1. I didn't know much about the country at the time, but I'd heard great things from friends who had visited. All I knew about were the barrier reefs.

After researching the country a bit more, I learned that it's incredibly easy for Americans to visit because 1) The flight is relatively short 2) No visa needed 3) English is the primary language and 4) the country interchangeably uses the USD and Belize dollar. Since USD is accepted, we didn't exchange any currency. $1 USD = $2 BZD.

2.5 Days and 2 Nights on Mainland

I stumbled upon the cutest cabanas at Green Valley Inn in Unitedville, Belize. The top three things that drew me to this property were 1) affordable 2) hands-on host who accommodated us in every way possible 3) convenient to attractions. Prior to the trip, we worked with the host, Peter, to create an itinerary that met all of our interests including jungle adventures, caves, canoeing, waterfalls, etc. Considering that we were only on mainland for 2.5 days, we decided to go with a relaxing day, ATM cave, Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, and Canoeing on Barton Creek for the fullest experience. All of this costed a flat rate of $350 USD which also included breakfast, private transfers, admission, and private tours. This was a great deal because transfers alone costs ~$60 USD per person one way from Belize City to the jungle area.

Upon arrival to Green Valley Inn, we were all astonished by the beautiful surroundings and thoughtfully decorated cabanas. My favorite part about the cabanas were the outdoor showers, which had warm-running water. On our first night, the moon was full and bright orange. I'm sad that I didn't shower later that night because I'm sure I would've been able to see the stars from the outdoor shower.

Belikin Belize's national beer. It costs about $2 BZD on mainland and $8 BZD on the islands!

Once we settled in a bit, we decided to walk a few blocks away to Jack's Shack to get some food. This is where we had our first freakout moment. After walking up a gigantic unpaved road, an aggressive rotweiller began to bark and charge at us. I was lucky to have Tran and Carolyn there to calm me down as we stood still, huddled around each other. Then before we knew it, 2 more rotweillers started charging at us. Once all three had arrived, they started circling us and I was scared to death that one of them would attack us. Thankfully, the owners came out to retrieve the dogs. Although Jack's Shack was closed, David, one of the neighbors, insisted on giving us a tour of the acreage and explained all of the beautiful plants and trees that surrounded the place.

After calming down a bit, we went back to the lodge to ask Peter to drive us a bit further down the road because we were too afraid of the large stray dogs everywhere. It was embarrassing, especially since we had just met Peter a few hours ago, but he was extremely kind and understanding. He dropped us off at a Chinese restaurant, which seemed to be the only restaurant open on a Sunday afternoon. I was a bit disappointed because I was really hoping for some chicken, rice, and beans, which is the local staple. After going to a nearby Chinese store, we decided to walk back to the Chinese restaurant, but funny enough, they ran out of Chinese food and were only serving fried chicken and burgers. So this was our first Belizean meal .

Chinese Population in Belize

Photo by: The Family Without Borders

I didn't take any photos of the Chinese stores and restaurants in Belize, but here's what they typically look like. While on the road, I learned that over 95% of the grocery stores in Belize are owned by Chinese. The first Chinese arrived in the country from south eastern China in the late 1860s. I was a bit taken back by this because it seemed like such a niche pocket of residents in a seemingly unexpected region. About a week before our arrival, there was a strike between the Chinese and Belizeans after a Chinese businessman was killed after many incidents of harassment towards the Chinese population. The tension arose from the Chinese taking over local business. Many angles can be interpreted, but one that I've heard is that there could be a question of Belizean loyalty to their own stores, which price items at a few cents more.

ATM Cave

Photo by: Benedict Kim

On day 2, we went on an all-day tour through the ATM Cave. Unfortunately, cameras were recently banned after several tourists dropped their devices on skeletal remains and damaging the sacred artifacts. This cave is an archeological site where Mayans once lived and performed human sacrifices. It's ranked by the National Geographic as one of the most sacred places of a lifetime. If you're in Belize, go to the ATM cave!

Before the trek, we got suited with life jackets, helmets, and headlights. After a short walk, we dove into the first river crossing which was more like a swim for me 😅. This went on a few more times before we finally entered the cave, which was incredible. Our tour guide ranks the ATM cave a 3/5 in terms of danger and righteously so. I would not recommend this tour to people with asthma, claustrophobia, disabilities, or fear of water because there is a lot of swimming in deep water, blindly walking over rocks and puddles, climbing rocks, and squeezing through narrow cracks. It's humid with very little circulation. However, if you do make it, you will learn so much about the ancient Mayans and witness a magnificent piece of history.

Xunantunich Mayan Ruins

Guatemala can be seen at the top of Xunantunich.

We spent about 1.5 hours at this site with our private tour guide. Since we arrived in the early morning before the crowd, we practically had the ruins to ourselves. Like the ATM cave, there is so much history that comes along with the ruins. Xunantunich is considered the second tallest tower in all of Belize. Crazy, right?! We saw Guatemala from the top of the ruins, which wasn't difficult too climb. We opted for Xunantunich instead of the other nearby ruins because of its vicinity to our lodge. Given more time, I'm sure we would've gone to Caracol, which I've heard is even more magnificent. I thought Xunantunich was incredible, so I can't imagine what an even greater site is like.

Canoeing in Barton Creek Cave

Entrance into the cave. Yes, the water is really that crystal clear. No filters added.

I was initially hesitant to visit Barton Creek Cave because we had just visited the ATM Cave the previous day, but I trusted Peter's judgement in recommending that the experience is unique enough to check out. I'm glad I listened. Since we went canoeing, Barton Creek Cave felt a lot more relaxing and calm. We took two boats. Peter and the tour guide paddled one of each while us girls just sat, listened to the history lesson, and absorbed the sights. For this reason, Barton Creek Cave felt a lot more majestic while ATM was packed with adventure and physical challenge. In both caves, there is evidence of Mayan traces.

On the way to/from Barton Creek Cave, we saw Mennonites, which led to a great history lesson from Peter. They were easy to identify because of their traditional clothing - women with bonnets and long dresses and men with overalls and hats. Mennonites in this region produce everything that they need for shelter, food, etc., so it was quite neat to see a glimpse of their life. Peter kindly asked us not to take photos of the Mennonites to respect their privacy. Pro tip: the ride was to/from Barton Creek really bumpy, so I recommend bringing motion sickness medication for those who may need it.

4 Nights in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye

We each spent $38 USD for roundtrip water taxi ferry tickets from Belize City to San Pedro. The ride was 90 minutes each way. The boats arrived and departed on time and were much cleaner and orderly than I had imagined. I have bad sea sickness, but was perfectly fine on the boat. Granted, I had seasick bands on and had taken a dramamine beforehand. But typically, even after preparing myself, I can get sick, so the fact that I didn't while on the water taxi reinforces how sturdy and smooth it is.

The dock right in front of our Airbnb. This is where we docked to go snorkeling.

What's a girls trip without a photo session? Right across the street from our Airbnb was this amazing dock. We spent countless hours on it - just reading and relaxing. Due to the geography of Belize (something about it being surrounded by far-out reefs), there aren't much sand on the islands. In exchange, there are docks that stretch far out into the ocean. I actually prefer the docks because they're cleaner and attract less sand flies, which we were warned are actually a thing. Luckily, none of us got bit badly, but still, they were evident.

Since there isn't much sand in Belize, people often lay on docks. We spent many hours here.

Couldn't pass up this photo opp

Snorkeling with Nurse Sharks

Our tour guide picked up a sleeping shark from the bottom of the ocean for us to pet □

Our Airbnb host set up a snorkel tour for us to check out Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley. For $60 USD per person, I'd say we paid a bit more than you would if you were to purchase tours from a local tour stand along the beach. However, the way I justify it is that we got a private tour and flexibility. We were able to easily postpone our tour back a day due to strong winds after a local told me that strong winds can cause water to go into the snorkel gear. I'd gone snorkeling a few times before, but this was Tran and Carolyn's first time, so I didn't want them to not enjoy it.

On the day we took the boat out, it was still windy - enough to cause the current to ripple. Hol Chan wasn't as great as I had imagined - the water was clear but there just wasn't as much diversity in the ocean and the current was so strong that Tran, Carolyn, and I kept getting pushed towards each other by the water. We were literally swimming face-to-feet. I wished our tour guide, who was our host's son, better explained the different fish that were swimming around, but maybe it was hard to do that with the strong current.

Next, we went to Shark Ray Alley. The guides fed fish to the sharks to attract their attention while Carolyn and I jumped into the ocean. The sharks were freakishly huge and we were both hesitant to go in, but #yolo. I was afraid because I had some open wounds from the ATM cave tour and thought that the sharks would recognize the scent. Fortunately, they did not.

Main Mode of Transportation is Golf Carts

A typical day in San Pedro

For $55 USD a day, we rented golf carts to drive around town for 2 out of the 4 days we were on the island. Even if you don't intend to use it all day, it's worth the cost just to experience it because literally everyone drives a golf cart in San Pedro. The carts come with a lock, so it's perfectly safe to drive it from point A to B and park it before returning to point A. I was surprised to learn that the golf carts also comes with a small storage unit in the back, which is also lockable. We mainly needed the golf cart to get across the bridge because that's where Secret Beach, the truck stop, Ak'bol, and many other tourist attractions are. Since we stayed closer to town, most stores and restaurants were a walk away, so renting the golf cart for only 2 days was perfect.

In case you're wondering...I'm 4"10' and was able to drive it perfectly. Be warned that there are speed bumps all around town, so you will be getting a free massage while driving the golf cart.

Chicken Drop at Wahoo's Lounge

On Thursday nights, you can bet where a chicken will take a shit. To play, you pay $1 USD and get a random number on a grid in a chicken coop. When the game starts, a volunteer from the audience will bless the chicken by rotating it around in circles and blowing air into the chicken's ass. S/he will then drop the chicken into the coop. For an extra small fee, some people buy corn to feed the chicken in hopes that it'll poop on their number. The crowd continues to cheer while the DJ cranks up the music. The game ends when the chicken poops. If it poops on your number, you win!

The Best Jerk Chicken at Robin's Kitchen

The jerk chicken at Robin's Kitchen was the best thing I ate in Belize. For $14 BZD, you get a quarter chicken, rice, and some veggies. I shared with a friend and still felt satisfied with the portions. I highly suggest going early in the day because they sell out...quick! While eating, somebody stopped by to order 10 jerk chicken meals. After that, there were only 4 jerk chickens remaining for the day. It was only 12:30 pm at this time. Right next door to Robin's Kitchen is a fruit stand which sold me 4 oranges for $2 BZD.

Other than jerk chicken, I can't say that Belizean cuisine is mouthwatering to the point where I'd want to repeat eating it. It's possible that I fell for tourist traps and didn't go to the right local restaurants, or maybe the locals only cook and eat at home, but the food I ate in Belize wasn't that great. It didn't seem like Belizeans are keen about cuisine. The local food I ate such as chicken/rice/beans and pupusas were bland. I don't think shrimp ceviche counts at Belizean food, but that was really delicious. The shrimp portions were extremely generous.

Yoga at Ak'Bol Retreat

I don't know about you, but when I go a week without doing yoga or working out at least once, I feel imbalanced. While driving to the Truck Stop in San Pedro, I spotted Ak'bol signs and made it a mission to check it out at least once. Unfortunately, it rained almost every morning, and the yoga sessions are only at 9 am on weekdays. On the last day, I woke up from the sounds of heavy rain dripping down the roof and I thought to myself, "If I don't check this yoga spot out, I'm gonna really regret it." So, my sister and I took the golf cart and drove it north of the bridge. The 1 hour class costed $15 USD with mats, blankets, and bricks provided. It was everything like I imagined. Every downward dog presented the unfathomable sight of palm trees and every supine spinal twist gave me a fresh scent of ocean air and turquoise clear views. Yoga's never going to be the same.

Summary of Trip Itinarary

Jan 19 - Day 1 - Red eye flight

Flight to BZE city

Jan 20 - Day 2 - Mainland

Transfer to Green Valley Inn

Relaxing pool/hammocks

Explore surroundings

Small swimming hole with crystal clear water near lodge

Take machete and do a jungle work from lodge

Nearby bars and restaurants to meet locals and have some drinks

Jan 21 - Day 3 - Mainland

ATM Tour

San Ignacio town

Jan 22 - Day 4 - Mainland/Ambergris

Xunantunich Maya Ruins

Barton Creek Cave Tour (canoeing)

Transfers to Belize City. Arrive around 4 pm

Take water ferry taxi to San Pedro ($38 RT per person water taxi) 4:30 and 5:30 pm times available

Jan 23 - Day 5 - Ambergris

Snorkel at Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley

Jan 24 - Day 6 - Ambergris or Caye Caulker

Relax on ambergris or half day trip to Caye Caulker ($28 RT per person water taxi)?

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I've always been a very curious and reflective person, and this blog serves as place for me to track and share some of those thoughts. Lately, I've been sharing more about travel, so follow along if you're interested in learning tips & tricks or just want inspo.